March 18, 2021
Your weekly roundup of news and analysis of elections in Eurasia, usually posted on Thursdays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.
The train station in Chisinau, Moldova. Moldova’s president wants to hold snap parliamentary elections. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Борис Мавлютов (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
Kyrgyzstan Local Elections and Constitutional Referendum: April 11, 2021 and Parliamentary Elections Re-Run: Fall 2021 (proposed)
Kyrgyzstan holds local elections on April 11, along with a constitutional referendum, following political turmoil in October 2020 and a snap presidential election in January 2021. The political climate was tense heading into the October 2020 parliamentary elections. It subsequently exploded following said elections. More
Alanah Lockwood, Jurist (March 17, 2021): Kyrgyz president defends proposed constitutional reforms
RFE/RL (March 16, 2021): Organizer Of Rallies Against Constitutional Changes Detained In Kyrgyzstan
Nazir Aliyev Tayfur, Andalou Agency (March 12, 2021): Kyrgyzstan to hold constitutional referendum in April
Armenia Snap Parliamentary Elections: June 20, 2021
Armenia is holding snap parliamentary elections on June 20 in an effort to defuse a political crisis following a defeat in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Avet Demourian, AP (March 18, 2021): Armenia to hold early parliamentary election in June
JAMnews (March 16, 2021): Snap elections in Armenia – progress or politics as usual?
Russia Parliamentary Elections: By September 19, 2021
Russia is due to hold parliamentary elections by September 19, 2021. Russian elections are neither free nor fair. Nonetheless, the opposition has been making some gains in recent regional elections, helped by opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s “Smart Vote,” a campaign of tactical voting, in which they developed a list of candidates the best chance of beating Vladimir Putin’s United Russia. More
Peter Dickinson, Atlantic Council (March 18, 2021): Putin turns up pressure on Russian opposition ahead of September Duma elections
Luke Harding, The Guardian (March 17, 2021): Prominent supporters of Alexei Navalny face ‘indefinite’ house arrest
Nikolai Plotnikov, Meduza (March 17, 2021): How Russians see ‘freedom’ differently: Philosopher Nikolai Plotnikov reviews the intellectual history of ‘volya’ and ‘svoboda’
Elizabeth Franceschini, McGill International Review (March 16, 2021): Alexei Navalny: Vladimir Putin’s Biggest Fear
Past Eurasia Elections
Georgia Parliamentary Runoffs: November 21, 2020
Georgia held parliamentary elections on October 31 and November 21, 2020 in a climate of political tension, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout. Tensions have exploded into a full-blown political crisis. More
Civil.ge (March 18, 2021): EU Mediation: No Deal Reached Yet; Danielsson to Leave for Brussels
Henry Foy and Michael Peel, Financial Times (March 18, 2021): EU mediation in Georgia’s political crisis tests Brussels’ clout
Giorgi Lomsadze, Eurasianet (March 12, 2021): Georgian rapper accused of using law enforcement to terrorize critics
Moldova Presidential Runoff: November 15, 2020
Moldova a presidential election in November 2020. Pro-Europe center-right former Prime Minister Maia Sandu trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent. However, no party has a clear majority in parliament (and Sandu’s allies are outnumbered by pro-Russian parties), leading to political instability and the constant possibility of snap elections. More
Madalin Necsutu, Balkan Insight (March 18, 2021): In Divided Moldova, Playing Politics with a Pandemic
Alexander Tanas, Reuters (March 18, 2021): In standoff with president, Moldovan parliament nominates own candidate for PM
Reuters (March 16, 2021): Moldova’s president nominates new prime minister, eyes early election
Paul Goble, Jamestown Foundation (March 16, 2021): Moscow Seeks to Put Gagauz in Play Against Pro-Western Moldovan President
Belarus Presidential Election: August 9, 2020
Belarus held a presidential election on August 9, 2020. In a vote widely deemed not free and not fair, incumbent Alexander Lukashenko declared victory. However, the opposition declared that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya had in fact won. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in protest to demand free and fair elections, even in the face of assault and arrest by security forces. Protests continue. More
RFE/RL (Marach 18, 2021): Belarus Opposition Leader Renews Battle Against Lukashenka
Belsat (March 18, 2021): ‘Our country is in crisis’. Tsikhanouskaya urges Belarusians to vote for holding regime-opposition talks
Andrius Sytas, Reuters (March 18, 2021): Belarus opposition leader says OSCE and U.N. ready to help negotiate new election
Luke Hurst, Euronews (March 18, 2021): Belarus protests: Convictions tallied at 400, but hundreds more are still in jail
Vladislav Davidzon, Atlantic Council (March 16, 2021): Belarus human rights crisis: Concerns grow for political prisoners
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Eurasia This Week: March 18, 2021
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Last Updated: March 27, 2021 by 21votes
March 18, 2021
Your weekly roundup of news and analysis of elections in Eurasia, usually posted on Thursdays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
Kyrgyzstan Local Elections and Constitutional Referendum: April 11, 2021 and Parliamentary Elections Re-Run: Fall 2021 (proposed)
Kyrgyzstan holds local elections on April 11, along with a constitutional referendum, following political turmoil in October 2020 and a snap presidential election in January 2021. The political climate was tense heading into the October 2020 parliamentary elections. It subsequently exploded following said elections. More
Alanah Lockwood, Jurist (March 17, 2021): Kyrgyz president defends proposed constitutional reforms
RFE/RL (March 16, 2021): Organizer Of Rallies Against Constitutional Changes Detained In Kyrgyzstan
Nazir Aliyev Tayfur, Andalou Agency (March 12, 2021): Kyrgyzstan to hold constitutional referendum in April
Armenia Snap Parliamentary Elections: June 20, 2021
Armenia is holding snap parliamentary elections on June 20 in an effort to defuse a political crisis following a defeat in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Avet Demourian, AP (March 18, 2021): Armenia to hold early parliamentary election in June
JAMnews (March 16, 2021): Snap elections in Armenia – progress or politics as usual?
Russia Parliamentary Elections: By September 19, 2021
Russia is due to hold parliamentary elections by September 19, 2021. Russian elections are neither free nor fair. Nonetheless, the opposition has been making some gains in recent regional elections, helped by opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s “Smart Vote,” a campaign of tactical voting, in which they developed a list of candidates the best chance of beating Vladimir Putin’s United Russia. More
Peter Dickinson, Atlantic Council (March 18, 2021): Putin turns up pressure on Russian opposition ahead of September Duma elections
Luke Harding, The Guardian (March 17, 2021): Prominent supporters of Alexei Navalny face ‘indefinite’ house arrest
Nikolai Plotnikov, Meduza (March 17, 2021): How Russians see ‘freedom’ differently: Philosopher Nikolai Plotnikov reviews the intellectual history of ‘volya’ and ‘svoboda’
Elizabeth Franceschini, McGill International Review (March 16, 2021): Alexei Navalny: Vladimir Putin’s Biggest Fear
Past Eurasia Elections
Georgia Parliamentary Runoffs: November 21, 2020
Georgia held parliamentary elections on October 31 and November 21, 2020 in a climate of political tension, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic fallout. Tensions have exploded into a full-blown political crisis. More
Civil.ge (March 18, 2021): EU Mediation: No Deal Reached Yet; Danielsson to Leave for Brussels
Henry Foy and Michael Peel, Financial Times (March 18, 2021): EU mediation in Georgia’s political crisis tests Brussels’ clout
Giorgi Lomsadze, Eurasianet (March 12, 2021): Georgian rapper accused of using law enforcement to terrorize critics
Moldova Presidential Runoff: November 15, 2020
Moldova a presidential election in November 2020. Pro-Europe center-right former Prime Minister Maia Sandu trounced pro-Kremlin leftist Igor Dodon, who had been the incumbent. However, no party has a clear majority in parliament (and Sandu’s allies are outnumbered by pro-Russian parties), leading to political instability and the constant possibility of snap elections. More
Madalin Necsutu, Balkan Insight (March 18, 2021): In Divided Moldova, Playing Politics with a Pandemic
Alexander Tanas, Reuters (March 18, 2021): In standoff with president, Moldovan parliament nominates own candidate for PM
Reuters (March 16, 2021): Moldova’s president nominates new prime minister, eyes early election
Paul Goble, Jamestown Foundation (March 16, 2021): Moscow Seeks to Put Gagauz in Play Against Pro-Western Moldovan President
Belarus Presidential Election: August 9, 2020
Belarus held a presidential election on August 9, 2020. In a vote widely deemed not free and not fair, incumbent Alexander Lukashenko declared victory. However, the opposition declared that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya had in fact won. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in protest to demand free and fair elections, even in the face of assault and arrest by security forces. Protests continue. More
RFE/RL (Marach 18, 2021): Belarus Opposition Leader Renews Battle Against Lukashenka
Belsat (March 18, 2021): ‘Our country is in crisis’. Tsikhanouskaya urges Belarusians to vote for holding regime-opposition talks
Andrius Sytas, Reuters (March 18, 2021): Belarus opposition leader says OSCE and U.N. ready to help negotiate new election
Luke Hurst, Euronews (March 18, 2021): Belarus protests: Convictions tallied at 400, but hundreds more are still in jail
Vladislav Davidzon, Atlantic Council (March 16, 2021): Belarus human rights crisis: Concerns grow for political prisoners
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Category: This Week Tags: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia